Package for glassware



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1965 INVENTORZ PAUL R. LUERTZING W4?ATTYS.

March 29, 1966 P. R. LUERTZING 3,243,037

PACKAGE FUR GLASSWARE Filed March 3, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PAUL R. LUERTZ l NG ATTYS.

March 29, 1966 P. R. LUERTZING 3,243,037

PACKAGE FOR GLASSWARE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 5, 1965 United StatesPatent.

3,243,037 PACKAGE FOR GLASSWARE Paul R. Luertzing, Vineland, N.J.,assignor to Lurex Manufacturing Company, Vineland, N.J., a corporationof New Jersey Filed Mar. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 436,745 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-1)The present invention relates to glassware packaging and moreparticularly relates to a novel package of the type suitable for packingchemical glassware and the like.

Glassware utilized in chemical laboratories is subject to breakagebecause of the odd shapes of the various pieces, and the inability tostore the glassware or set it in a position where it cannot beinadvertently broken.

Although packaging kits are presently available on the market forglassware, due to the odd shapes and sizes of chemical glassware thepackage is either overly large or skimpy in design and adds to thedanger of the glassware being broken as well as the diflicultyencountered in storage.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention toprovide an inexpensive package for glassware, which package is strongand durable in construction and yet lightweight and easy to transport.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a package forglassware which consumes minimum space for ease of storage.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a glasswarepackage particularly suitable for storing chemical glassware of oddconfigurations in a minimum of space wherein the package is oflightweight and durable construction to reduce inadvertent breakage ofthe glassware.

Other objects and fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package constructed in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package illustrated in FIG. 1 in anopen position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the interior of the packageillustrated in FIGS. 13;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 thereof,a package 10 having an upper and lower portion 11 and 12, respectively,is illustrated therein. Each of the portions has upstanding andoutwardly angulated side walls 13, 14, 15, 16; upstanding and outwardlyangulated end walls 17, 18, 19, 20; and substantially planar top andbottom walls 21 and 22, respectively. As shown in the drawings, theupper portion 11 is hingedly connected to the lower portion 12 by ahinge 23 which connects the side wall 14 to the side wall 16, each ofthe portions being adapted to mate and abut in wall to wall engagementso as to define a glass receiving compartment 24 therein.

As the package 10 is preferably made of a lightweight molded plasticsuch as molded expanded polystyrene, it is a simple matter, when moldingthe portions to provide indentations 25 in the interior of the walls 21and 22, which indentations conform to a portion of the outline ofglassware items 26 thereby preventing displacement of the items 26 whenthe package is closed. As may be seen in the drawings, the glassware maycomprise such items as flasks 26a, adapters 26b, condensers 26c, funnels26d, stoppers and/or plugs 26c, tubes 267 and the like. A slot 27 may beprovided to receive a thermometer (not shown).

In accordance with the invention, as only a few of the glassware itemsare particularly large, for example, the 250 and 500 milliliter flasks26a, and as it is desirable to permit placement of the maximum number ofglassware items in the smallest possible space, means are provided topermit the larger items to fit indentations in both the upper and lowerportions 11 and 12 while serving the additional function of storage ofsmaller items. To this end, a removable tray 30 mounts within the glassreceiving compartment 24 and permits large glassware items such as theflasks 26a mounted in an indentation in the lower portion to seat inanother indentation in the upper portion by providing suitable apertures31 large enough to permit passage through the tray of large glasswareitems. In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, the removable tray 30has a portion 32 which permits storage of small glassware items and whenin position, in the package, prevents these items from inadvertentmovement by the indentations associated therewith in the upper portion11.

As previously stated, the tray is removable so as to permit easy accessto other glassware items stored in the lower portion 12. In order toprovide easy removal of the tray 30 from the package upon openingthereof while simultaneously permitting easy storage of the entirepackage, and in accordance with another feature of .the invention, meansare provided on the tray for easy gripping of the tray from the exteriorof the package which means are contained within the package and do notproject therefrom so as to interfere with storage of the package.

To this end, the tray 30 is provided with handles 33 which, asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, project from each end of the tray andregister with slots 34 having outwardly diverging upper and lower edges34a and 34b, in the end walls of the upper and lower portions 11 and 12,respectively. Although the handles project from the tray, they terminateinteriorly of the end walls so as not to project from the package, thuspermitting ease of storage of the package. As may be noted in thedrawings, providing the slots 34 so that they diverge outwardly, whileproviding handles 33 which diverge inwardly, permits the user to placehis fingers into the V-shaped slot 35 defined therebetween, for ease oflifting the tray 30 from the package 10. In addition, as will becomeevident hereinafter, this novel feature also permits the entire package,when closed, to be easily carried by the handles.

In accordance with another novel feature of the present invention, thetray 30 may easily be fitted into the interior of the upper portion 11of the package 10. This feature, as illustrated in FIG. 4, permits fullaccess to the glassware carried on the tray and the glassware carried inthe lower portion 12.

For ease of securing the package for carrying and for storage, grooves40, 41 and 42, 43 are placed in the exterior of the upper and lowerportions, respectively, adjacent the corners thereof opposite the hinge23 to receive therein ties such as rubber bands for holding the upperand lower portions in wall-to-wall engagement. In addition, a pocket 45is placed in the exterior of the ppper portion 11 to receive thereinbrochures and the ike.

Thus, the package constructed in accordance with the present inventionprovides the advantages of permitting a number of odd-shaped glasswareitems to be situated in less space while permitting ease of storage oflarge and small glassware :sirnulmneously while preventing inadvertentlateral movement thereof within the package,

thereby reducing the chances of inadvertent breakage of the glasswareitems with the package. Further, a tray for a package of the presentinvention is provided which, while permitting easy access by the user iscapable of storage in the package so as to expose all of the glasswarefor use. In addition, the overall design of the package permits easystoring of the package without any projections therefrom so as to causeinterference or the like with other items that are being stored on theexterior surrounding the package.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be madewithout departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention ashereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A package for glassware having an upper and lower portion of moldedlightweight plastic, each of said upper and lower portions havingupstanding side walls, end walls and a substantially planar bottom wall,at least one of said planar walls having a pocket therein to receiveprinted matter, hinge means connecting one of said side walls of saidlower portion to one of said side walls of said upper portion, saidupper and lower portions adapted for mating in wall-to-wall engagementto define a glass-receiving compartment therein, a removably traymounted in said glass-receiving compartment substantially midway betweenthe bottom walls of said upper and lower portions and extendingcompletely across said compartment, means defining at least one aperturein said tray, the bottom wall of said lower portion having an interiorsurface having indentations therein conforming at least in part to theprofile of a portion of glassware to be received in said compartment,said removable tray having an upper surface having indentations thereinconforming at least inipart to the profile of a portion of glassware tobe received in said compartment, and the bottom wall of said upperportion having an interior surface having indentations thereinconforming at least in part to the profile of a portion of glassware tobe received in said compartment, the indentations in the interiorsurface of a bottom wall of said upper portion adapted to engageglassware carried by said tray and glassware carried by said lowerportion and projecting upwardly through the aperture in said tray, saidtray having a pair of projecting handles connected to opposite ends ofsaid tray and projecting outwardly therefrom, means defining matingslots in the end walls of both said upper and lower portions adapted toreceive said handles and support said tray in the closed position ofsaid package, said upper portion adapted to receive and support thehandles of said tray in the open position of said package to provideaccess to the glassware carried by the lower portion of said package andsaid tray when said package is in the open position, said handles beingbeveled so as to converge outwardly and an upper and lower edge of saidregistering slot in said end walls diverging outwardly, said arrangementproviding V-shaped slots between said handles and slots in said endwalls to facilitate removal of the tray from the package, and meansdefining grooves on the exterior of said bottom walls adjacent thecorners of said package within which an expandable fastening memberseats to secure said upper portion to said lower portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 498,455 5/ 1893Bartlett. 1,038,009 9/1912 Simmons 35 1,539,140 5/1925 Palmer. 1,875,1778/1932 Osannet al 312293 X 1,908,940 5/1933 Weidel. 1,926,916 9/1933Reeves. 2,242,737 5/ 1941 Alfreds. 3,138,244 6/1964 White 20681 THERONE. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner.

